Athlete Getaway Homes

Athletes don’t work in offices, restaurants or big box stores like most of us, but that doesn’t mean that their lives are stress-free. They need a place to retreat to in the off-season, a sanctuary where they can escape from the anxiety that would plague anyone who’s paid millions of dollars to surf for a living.

What follows are homes where some of the leading athletes flee after the arena goes dark and the crowd roar becomes a distant echo. Some of these houses are on the market, awaiting buyers as their owners downsize. Other homes were just purchased, recession or no recession. Click ahead to see them.